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Update: Since I was directed to travel on business to Santa Ana, CA, Monte was able to fit me into his schedule for four hours of lessons and a 9-hole playing lesson March 16-19. I'm keeping the original posted video as a kind of benchmark.

I first attended a Monte clinic in 2014 as a reward for some weight loss, and I've been a fan ever since. That first year, he improved my swing just by adding some side tilt. Since then, I attended two more clinics. I skipped last year to just "dig it out of the dirt" and achieved my goal of learning to hit a draw. Was originally scheduled to attend Houston this year, but when this business trip came up I asked a few guys (thanks Hawkeye77 and parmark) about private lessons with Monte. Both highly recommended it.

I'll use this thread to document progress. Hopefully, Monte will chime in. Obligatory food **** will be provided. I'm not a very good golfer (will break 90 on a good day and have broken 85 a few times). I'm in my early 50s. Good flexibility, but somewhat weak for my size. Distance challenged (driver carry 220, 7-iron 140-145). I have always felt part of my problem is I'm left-handed playing golf right-handed, and I don't involve my right hand/arm enough in the swing. We will see! I just know I'm going to the right guy, and regardless of how much or little I improve, it won't be the instructor's fault.

Looking forward to the reports - should be a great experience! Looks good so will be interesting to see where the "power leaks" are or gains in efficiency may be found - and no way you shouldn't be shooting 85 or better (there is some pressure for the season!).

Monte Chicago 2014 - Due to some weight loss surgery, I lost about 80 pounds in about five months and was about 275#. I get up in front of the group to swing. Monte asks the group "What does he need?" Pretty much everyone said more lateral tilt at setup. I never realized it was that obvious. It was really the only thing I worked on that weekend.

What made it difficult to implement was the view of the ball was so different. At the time of the clinic, I was fairly OTT, but the added secondary tilt really set me on the road to improvement as it made it easier to "make room" for a correct swing. Frankly, as I look at the video above, I could probably stand to add a little secondary tilt right now...

No kidding. Monte goes on a rant about three separate acts of stupidity he sees at his golf course within five minutes. He obviously forgot the level of stupidity I can achieve by myself in the span of a 1-second golf swing.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I'm in beautiful Southern California at the Wyndham Irvine airport. Really nice hotel, BTW. Getting ready to pick up the rental car and go visit Monte. Too late last night for real food (ended up with Domino's mediocre pizza for late dinner and breakfast). Here's what I'm bagging on the trip:

Driver: Adams XTD Ti 12* set to 10.5* with stock Matrix Red Tie 6X3 R

FW: Adams XTD Ti 15* and 18* with stock Matrix Red Tie 7X3 R

Hybrids: Adams XTD Ti 20* and 23* w Matrix Red Tie Hx3 R

Irons: Maltby MMB Black 5-GW w DG AMT S300

Wedges: Maltby MG Grind 56* and 60* w Score LT Firm

Putter: Top Flite Tour 5.0

I say "on the trip" because just before leaving I picked up a set of Maltby DBM 6-SW from the same seller I originally bought the MMBs from. Sold to me as a low torque, 85g reportedly made for an OEM. I suspect Maltby bought some overstock and rebadged as a hybrid shaft. These are "blank" black with no logo and look great with the Maltby DBM heads!

I'm in beautiful Southern California at the Wyndham Irvine airport. Really nice hotel, BTW. Getting ready to pick up the rental car and go visit Monte. Too late last night for real food (ended up with Domino's mediocre pizza for late dinner and breakfast). Here's what I'm bagging on the trip:

Driver: Adams XTD Ti 12* set to 10.5* with stock Matrix Red Tie 6X3 R

FW: Adams XTD Ti 15* and 18* with stock Matrix Red Tie 7X3 R

Hybrids: Adams XTD Ti 20* and 23* w Matrix Red Tie Hx3 R

Irons: Maltby MMB Black 5-GW w DG AMT S300

Wedges: Maltby MG Grind 56* and 60* w Score LT Firm

Putter: Top Flite Tour 5.0

I say "on the trip" because just before leaving I picked up a set of Maltby DBM 6-SW from the same seller I originally bought the MMBs from. Sold to me as a low torque, 85g reportedly made for an OEM. I suspect Maltby bought some overstock and rebadged as a hybrid shaft. These are "blank" black with no logo and look great with the Maltby DBM heads!

I love a good California/Monte pilgrimage thread. Have fun while you’re out there.

The DBM’s are a pretty looking iron. Had a set for a hot minute. They launched INSANELY high for me, so i moved on.

Incredibly boring first lesson. As Monte already led on, lower body is a hot mess. Bottom line, two things to work on:

1. Old man setup - I was WAY too hunched over the ball. Needed to be more upright in Monte’s “old man” setup.

2. Too much sliding, not enough turning. Nailed it! Have to flex the lead knee, and not allow it to move laterally (toward/away from target).

Simple diagnosis, just need reps with baby swings to build on. The interesting thing is the old man setup to me feels like how Steve Stricker looks!

Gotta brag on Monte, a bit as I got to watch him practice. At 50, Monte is throwing up STUPID numbers on the Flightscope. 180 mph driver ball speed? 130 mph clubhead? Just silly.

We talked about the golf instruction industry and the new wave of “golf biomechanics.” I continually come away from sessions with Monte impressed with the level of intellect with which he approaches his craft. And unlike a lot of theoreticians, Monte has serious game. Even better, for slower learners like me, he can throw out alternate feels if the student can’t execute the first suggested thought. Gifted instructor. More musings to follow.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

Monte’s survival increased exponentially with ID of yet another killer flaw. Effectively said “Get this Shiite fixed before I see you again on Sunday.” <end of lesson> LOL!

But here’s where he’s gifted. He knows five different “feels” that lead to the same fix. Everyone deals with each feel differently. From there he evaluates each students ability to process. For me, because he knows I’m hopeless, he said just pick the one that works best for you and leaves me alone <jk>

Then he proceeds to walk over to the other side of his practice area to nuke a KZG driver at 180 mph ballspeed!

After practice, I headed to the Oak Creek Cafe where I was just in tie for happy hour. A tall glass of a local IPA was $5 and a small order of wings was $6. I think the IPA was brewed by Artifex and it was a solid 4 of 5.

Since Saturday is on my own, I decided to call it a day. After a hot shower, I did the obligatory visit to In-N-Out. Ordered a double protein and animal fries. I'm not supposed to have a lot of carbs, but I'm glad I tried the animal fries! Was going to snap a pic, but the carnage in the tray was NSFW as it was littered with uneaten fries and torn off lettuce leaves.

Post edited by Unknown User on March 2018

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I love a good California/Monte pilgrimage thread. Have fun while you're out there.

The DBM's are a pretty looking iron. Had a set for a hot minute. They launched INSANELY high for me, so i moved on.

Looking forward to reading about your experience.

If you like the look of the DBM but want lower flight, you could give the MMB a try.

In fact, I may be selling mine, and just going back to the DBM because of something Monte said yesterday.

As Monte knows, my miss is thin. He walks over to me and shows me one of his new insanely gorgeous KZG forgings with Steelfibers. He says I should consider them because the coating eliminates the "stinger" feeling from a thin shot. While I gave Monte a smart azz reply about deserving negative reinforcement after a bad shot, the truth is he's right. That stinger feeling is not fun... /vava.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':vava:' />

After practice, I headed to the Oak Creek Cafe where I was just in tie for happy hour. A tall glass of a local IPA was $5 and a small order of wings was $6. I think the IPA was brewed by Artifex and it was a solid 4 of 5.

Since Saturday is on my own, I decided to call it a day. After a hot shower, I did the obligatory visit to In-N-Out. Ordered a double protein and animal fries. I'm not supposed to have a lot of carbs, but I'm glad I tried the animal fries! Was going to snap a pic, but the carnage in the tray was NSFW as it was littered with uneaten fries and torn off lettuce leaves.

Since you're avoiding a lot of carbs, I like LA Brisket in Costa Mesa. I order meat by the 1/2 lb with a side of slaw. Across the street from there is an excellent little restaurant, Old Vine Cafe. Their breakfast makes my OC top 5 list and I've been just about everywhere in the county for breakfast (my favoritist meal). They open at 9 - get there before 10 or there's a line. Also near you is Trade Food Hall. Lots of choices, along with a cocktail bar, but for low carb eaters, Two Birds is great. I get the 3-piece grilled breast with a side of slaw (I've never had it fried but that's what they're known for). PM me if you want any other recommendations (or just ask right here for future travelers' reference, I suppose). If there's anything specific you like (authentic Mex, pho, coffee, etc...), I can probably help out.

BTW... Schnee's not kidding about Nate's. That's one tasty burrito! And they'll make it in a bowl, if you prefer to forego the tortilla.

I love a good California/Monte pilgrimage thread. Have fun while you're out there.

The DBM's are a pretty looking iron. Had a set for a hot minute. They launched INSANELY high for me, so i moved on.

Looking forward to reading about your experience.

If you like the look of the DBM but want lower flight, you could give the MMB a try.

In fact, I may be selling mine, and just going back to the DBM because of something Monte said yesterday.

As Monte knows, my miss is thin. He walks over to me and shows me one of his new insanely gorgeous KZG forgings with Steelfibers. He says I should consider them because the coating eliminates the "stinger" feeling from a thin shot. While I gave Monte a smart azz reply about deserving negative reinforcement after a bad shot, the truth is he's right. That stinger feeling is not fun... /vava.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':vava:' />

HaHa - Monte never hits them thin! ;-)

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

Right now, enjoying the Bosscat tap list. (So tell me again how a bar in Cali opens at 11am serving egg dishes is considered “breakfast?” I was up at 5am and at the course at 8am. I’m way too Midwest Lol.

Edit: Stopped at Barley Forge for a beer or three. Had a solid bratwurst straight out of MKE. Photo forthcoming.

Right now, enjoying the Bosscat tap list. (So tell me again how a bar in Cali opens at 11am serving egg dishes is considered “breakfast?” I was up at 5am and at the course at 8am. I’m way too Midwest Lol.

Edit: Stopped at Barley Forge for a beer or three. Had a solid bratwurst straight out of MKE. Photo forthcoming.

Solid choice! Ya, I feel you. I'm a 5AM-er too and my chief complaint about the the better breakfast spots we have is how late they all open. KIT Coffee opens at 6. Great coffee and a very respectable toast and soft scramble (tip: add bacon). Cross the street and splurge on the the best donuts in town. Sidecar

Hey, thanks for the concern! But I’m fine. Just a little tired and sore.

The real story of the trip is Monte. It’s good to see him healthy. And he’s just flat out crushing the ball. He’s got this bullet fade with his driver. Ball moves maybe five feet right then stops. And the ball just goes forever. He says he prefers a tight draw, but this little fade is a missile.

The other part of this story is Monte as an instructor. I never realized how much or how deeply he thinks about golf instruction. He gives a great deal of thought into what and how he communicates to his students. More to come shortly...

So, a 5 hour flight delay in Vegas gives me time for some deets on the weekend at Monte’s....

Friday: First five minutes of the 45 minute session, Monte succinctly says: “Your lower body is a mess. Get on the Boditrak.” Pressure points are all out of whack. Main culprit: Lead leg isn’t straightening through impact, it’s sliding. And oh by the way, the trail knee is sliding too. Have to reprogram sequencing. Lead heel at address to trail heel at top, then back to lead heel. Doctors orders are to practice punchy half-swings, then every fifth ball, let it rip.

Sunday: First 10 minutes looked at full swing. Basically I get Herb Brooks “not great, but better.” Lol! Go to short game area and I proceed to stub the first pitch. Monte says just like full swing, too much lower body. So we work on 80% weight on lead leg, no rotation and go! A few decent shots. No one decapitated with a skulled chip. We call it victory then head to the bunker where I apparently have decided to subconsciously adopt every Peter Kostis and David Leadbetter tip ever given on bunker play, and very simply can’t get out! Monte fixes it with a comment: “Just release the f-ing club!” I pop it up on the fringe and we’re done. <Editorial comment: Monte is much more patient and kind to new students. Those who should know better like me, he doesn’t mince words>

Sunday playing lesson: First, for those that haven’t played Oak Creek, the back nine is pretty cool. First tee ball I put closer to the pin, just off the green, than Mr Cargo Shorts. But darn if his putting isn’t improved. He narrowly misses a 40 footer, but easy par. I hit my putt from the fringe and immediately get flagged for excessive truncal rotation AND complete absence of technique. I’m not giving this one away because I think it’s in Monte’s videos. But, bottom line: I didn’t hit a bad putt the rest of the playing lesson!!! Misreads, yes. But no stubs. Later, I had a 40 foot left to right downhill slider with uphill at the very end that I put three feet from the hole. Monte makes me putt it, so I put it in. No biggie. Been doing it for a whole hour! Lol!

I will add that IMO, I declare my short game fixed. Putting, chipping and short pitches are good. Monte can attest: I hit one bad pitch out of about 12-15, and it was on an uphill lie that I had difficulty with shoulder alignment. This isn’t surprising as I’m a former competitive bowler and hand eye comes easy. Full swing and more bragging on Monte gets the next post.

So, a 5 hour flight delay in Vegas gives me time for some deets on the weekend at Monte’s....

Friday: First five minutes of the 45 minute session, Monte succinctly says: “Your lower body is a mess. Get on the Boditrak.” Pressure points are all out of whack. Main culprit: Lead leg isn’t straightening through impact, it’s sliding. And oh by the way, the trail knee is sliding too. Have to reprogram sequencing. Lead heel at address to trail heel at top, then back to lead heel. Doctors orders are to practice punchy half-swings, then every fifth ball, let it rip.

Sunday: First 10 minutes looked at full swing. Basically I get Herb Brooks “not great, but better.” Lol! Go to short game area and I proceed to stub the first pitch. Monte says just like full swing, too much lower body. So we work on 80% weight on lead leg, no rotation and go! A few decent shots. No one decapitated with a skulled chip. We call it victory then head to the bunker where I apparently have decided to subconsciously adopt every Peter Kostis and David Leadbetter tip ever given on bunker play, and very simply can’t get out! Monte fixes it with a comment: “Just release the f-ing club!” I pop it up on the fringe and we’re done. <Editorial comment: Monte is much more patient and kind to new students. Those who should know better like me, he doesn’t mince words>

Sunday playing lesson: First, for those that haven’t played Oak Creek, the back nine is pretty cool. First tee ball I put closer to the pin, just off the green, than Mr Cargo Shorts. But darn if his putting isn’t improved. He narrowly misses a 40 footer, but easy par. I hit my putt from the fringe and immediately get flagged for excessive truncal rotation AND complete absence of technique. I’m not giving this one away because I think it’s in Monte’s videos. But, bottom line: I didn’t hit a bad putt the rest of the playing lesson!!! Misreads, yes. But no stubs. Later, I had a 40 foot left to right downhill slider with uphill at the very end that I put three feet from the hole. Monte makes me putt it, so I put it in. No biggie. Been doing it for a whole hour! Lol!

I will add that IMO, I declare my short game fixed. Putting, chipping and short pitches are good. Monte can attest: I hit one bad pitch out of about 12-15, and it was on an uphill lie that I had difficulty with shoulder alignment. This isn’t surprising as I’m a former competitive bowler and hand eye comes easy. Full swing and more bragging on Monte gets the next post.

LOL

In my head, “All he has to do is make a more regular swing and not hold the face open through impact.”

Then a mild case of Tourette’s gets in the way before, “Release the F-Ing club or I’ll beat you to death with your putter head cover in front of all of these people,” is the verbal translation of that original thought.

At least I didn’t threaten to charge you double if you held the face open again. :-P

Kidding aside, you did really well and improved a lot. Swing will come along, but short game made huge strides.

Epilogue on Full Swing: After completing business I had in Santa Ana, I hit 250 more range bullets. I am proud to say I left California with a full swing thought that I call "Bump, Bump, Dump, and Turn." (How original...)

Bump 1 - Start backswing with pressure transfer to rear heel;

Bump 2 - At top of backswing, transfer pressure back to front heel;

Dump - Drop the arms while keeping back to the target

Turn - Activate the shoulders and arms to "whip" the club across my body. I allow the "whip" to turn my body back to the target.

Through trial and error, I found keeping my back to the target during the dump to be really effective in allowing natural lead leg extension through the shot.

I learned the whip motion by doing quiet body pitches. (Still tough for me to scream "Hulk Smash!" while keeping a quiet lower body, though. Got to work on that...)

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

7/12 Update: The short game has really come around, thanks to just good old fashioned SMART practice. If you're having trouble integrating Monte's short game stuff, I HIGHLY recommend practicing like this:

In my backyard, I assembled a nice 10' Tour Links putting green I bought off Craigslist, and placed a mat about two feet away. I chip (actually more of a mini-pitch) onto it using my 56* SW with 12* bounce. Total distance is about 13'-15' from the impact area to the hole. Effectively, it's practicing being short-sided. Off a tight lie, you're forced to get a high-bounce wedge under the ball to clear 3-5 feet of "forced carry" between mat and green. You must keep the arms moving while projecting the ball only a short distance. If I don't clear the forced carry or if I send the ball bounding over the green, I know I did not keep the arms moving. Really good stuff. Hopefully this helps others...

On the full swing, my game off the deck is serviceable. Short, but OK. Even though I am one of the lesser players at Monte's clinics, I always feel my wedges and game from 120 in is just as good as anyone else in attendance. My weak area right now is my driver. And, it's purely mental. I lost a lot of ammo in some tight Northwoods courses last week. The sad part is at my distance, I should not be so wayward. This is my next area of focus, and I have a plan. Just need to win the lottery so this stupid work thing stops getting in the way...

7/12 Update: The short game has really come around, thanks to just good old fashioned SMART practice. If you're having trouble integrating Monte's short game stuff, I HIGHLY recommend practicing like this:

In my backyard, I assembled a nice 10' Tour Links putting green I bought off Craigslist, and placed a mat about two feet away. I chip (actually more of a mini-pitch) onto it using my 56* SW with 12* bounce. Total distance is about 13'-15' from the impact area to the hole. Effectively, it's practicing being short-sided. Off a tight lie, you're forced to get a high-bounce wedge under the ball to clear 3-5 feet of "forced carry" between mat and green. You must keep the arms moving while projecting the ball only a short distance. If I don't clear the forced carry or if I send the ball bounding over the green, I know I did not keep the arms moving. Really good stuff. Hopefully this helps others...

On the full swing, my game off the deck is serviceable. Short, but OK. Even though I am one of the lesser players at Monte's clinics, I always feel my wedges and game from 120 in is just as good as anyone else in attendance. My weak area right now is my driver. And, it's purely mental. I lost a lot of ammo in some tight Northwoods courses last week. The sad part is at my distance, I should not be so wayward. This is my next area of focus, and I have a plan. Just need to win the lottery so this stupid work thing stops getting in the way...

I have a similar back yard set up. This is the final hurdle for me to accept this method for short game all around. This short distance from hardpan (Tucson ain't lush at the courses I play) is just death. I did attend a OHIO clinic many moons ago, I have original Use The Bounce vid somewhere? But the ? I have on these short little soon to be skulled shots, is to you still play the ball more forward? Success rate is about 40% right now. On the course I always revert back to more ball in back of stance, lot's of roll out, let's play it safe and have a long putt technique. Would love to just commit and use the bounce all the time.

Sorry to interrupt, I just saw this and decided to use it as motivation to get back to work in the backyard.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I have a similar back yard set up. This is the final hurdle for me to accept this method for short game all around. This short distance from hardpan (Tucson ain't lush at the courses I play) is just death. I did attend a OHIO clinic many moons ago, I have original Use The Bounce vid somewhere? But the ? I have on these short little soon to be skulled shots, is to you still play the ball more forward? Success rate is about 40% right now. On the course I always revert back to more ball in back of stance, lot's of roll out, let's play it safe and have a long putt technique. Would love to just commit and use the bounce all the time.

Sorry to interrupt, I just saw this and decided to use it as motivation to get back to work in the backyard.

Awesome! Not an interruption at all. While not the best golfer, I do like to think of ways to "build a better mousetrap." I truly believe the mini "forced carry" set up can help others. It just takes practice. I do keep the ball forward (around my shirt logo) while keeping lower body VERY quiet.

I can see hardpan being a problem, but that shouldn't stop you from using the bounce. You just need a club with less bounce than the typical high bounce Monte recommends.

BTW, Monte has revised Use the Bounce and released it in version 2.0 with a "core motion" introduction and exercise that is simply pure gold. I used to think it wasn't for me, but I bit the bullet and started practicing it. My prior post simply did not give it the credit it deserves! Worth the investment...

I have a similar back yard set up. This is the final hurdle for me to accept this method for short game all around. This short distance from hardpan (Tucson ain't lush at the courses I play) is just death. I did attend a OHIO clinic many moons ago, I have original Use The Bounce vid somewhere? But the ? I have on these short little soon to be skulled shots, is to you still play the ball more forward? Success rate is about 40% right now. On the course I always revert back to more ball in back of stance, lot's of roll out, let's play it safe and have a long putt technique. Would love to just commit and use the bounce all the time.

Sorry to interrupt, I just saw this and decided to use it as motivation to get back to work in the backyard.

Awesome! Not an interruption at all. While not the best golfer, I do like to think of ways to "build a better mousetrap." I truly believe the mini "forced carry" set up can help others. It just takes practice. I do keep the ball forward (around my shirt logo) while keeping lower body VERY quiet.

I can see hardpan being a problem, but that shouldn't stop you from using the bounce. You just need a club with less bounce than the typical high bounce Monte recommends.

BTW, Monte has revised Use the Bounce and released it in version 2.0 with a "core motion" introduction and exercise that is simply pure gold. I used to think it wasn't for me, but I bit the bullet and started practicing it. My prior post simply did not give it the credit it deserves! Worth the investment...

Just been being a cheapskate about buying 2.0! I will dust the cobwebs out of the wallet. Thanks for the push

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

After some e-mail exchanges with Monte, I decided to spend the upcoming Wisconsin winter working on sequence along with some complementary strength training. About 15 years ago, I purchased a book summarizing the teachings of the late Paul Bertholy, written by Doug Ferreri, a former Bertholy assistant and a GolfWRX member! The book is still in print and can be purchased here:

www.paulbertholy.com

The book should be subtitled "Golf Kinematic Sequence for Dummies." It's a series of five programs, with the first program consisting of 10-second static holds of seven key positions in the swing. Later programs blend the positions into a swing. The amazing part is Bertholy was teaching this method back in the 1950s-1970s, long before 3D swing analysis, Tathata, and the Myelinator...

A few months ago, I was listening to Larry Rinker on Sirius talking about Dr. David Wright and Wright Balance. At the time, I bought Rinker's e-book related to high-core players. It got me interested in the concept, so I decided to do a Wright Balance assessment with Matt Jones, a Wright Balance practitioner about an hour from my house. I won't bore anyone with the assessment process, as it is nicely summarized in this blog:

I was surprised to be assessed as a low core player. But, it does make sense as the Wright scale is primarily based on WHERE most of your body's lean tissue mass is located, and I carry a lot of weight in my trunk. Also surprising: The assessment showed my "natural" club delivery is trail hand "under." Finally, despite my size, I am flexible, and I can separate my upper body from my lower. (Not that I use this flexibility in my current golf swing, but it's probably time to start.)

If I adopt this low core model, I'm going to probably have to change a few things. Need to experiment and discuss more with Monte...

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I'm setting aside the Wright Balance results for awhile. I don't doubt the assessment as a low-core player. The golf swing I've ingrained is simply high-core, especially with some recent adjustments I've made, and there have been a lot:

- Dropped 25 pounds in six weeks (a long story for another time);

- Switched from strong trail hand grip to very weak (literally on top of the grip) which is keeping me in play more off the tee;

- Narrower stance has helped quiet my spastic lower body action

- Short game is really dialed in through sheer practice of Monte's technique (only using SW and LW)

- Started the Bertholy work early

- Went single length irons with Edel SLS-01s

I want to thank Doug Ferreri, the author of the Bertholy book for his very nice PMs inquiring about my progress. I am violating Bertholy's rule about golfing while doing the early programs. If you golf while doing them, you get an on-course mix of your regular swing, the random Bertholy "late hit" swing that goes 10-15 yards more, and an occasional s***k. Funny, I still remember the feel of the "late hit" swing from when I originally bought the book 15 years ago!

Today is a true litmus test for my game. I was invited to play in an outing at Lawsonia Links, one of the nicest public courses in Wisconsin. It's a two-man team event (six holes alternate shot, six holes better ball, six holes combined score). The guy who invited me was one of the better Wisconsin junior players at the same time Skip Kendall and JP Hayes were on the scene. It's going to be a fun day, and I look forward to seeing where I am and what I need to work on. Will report back, good or bad, on how the day went.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I asked my playing partner (a single-digit) to asses my game today. Here it is:

Putting: A

Short Game: A

Wedges: A

Driver: B+

Irons / Hybrids / FW: D

I had two 3-putt greens and NEVER putted on faster greens with more diabolical pin placements. While driver was only a B+, I was able to put every drive in play (although I did top one). While shots off the deck were disappointing (and surprising since I have always been a good iron player), my guess is the grip change is the likely culprit. I'll try using the new weak grip for the driver and keep the strong grip for all other shots.

Today was a really good day. Lots to hang my hat on, and some things to change. Lots to be positive and optimistic about!

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I enjoy following Chris Schnee's journey to improvement with Monte because I feel Chris and I have a similar body type. To me, Chris's swing has become incredibly efficient, and I told him as much. Anyway, the past couple of weeks, I decided to make a concerted attempt to shorten and shallow my swing, and I think I succeeded. Below is a DTL from today, and my DTL from 10 months ago (steeper, longer).

My latest:

[media=]

My swing from January 2018:

[media=]

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

I forgot to add I picked up 3-4 mph clubhead speed with the shorter, shallower swing. The bad news was I have had ZERO time to ingrain it the past few months as work got off the hook busy...

Tomorrow (New Year's Eve) I'm flying out to stay and play at the Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix which is supposed to have a great practice facility and a very good resort course. Really looking forward to a few days of golf and warm weather. Need to continue to work on the short and shallow while continuing to increase CHS.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭

While I was in Phoenix, I decided to take lessons from Jeremy Anderson, head pro at the Legacy Golf Performance Center. Great guy, and is very technical. Like Monte, he can translate his technical understanding into easy-to-understand instruction. Here's a before and after at the top of my swing:

Thanks! The cool part was learning more about how that position at the top transitions to the impact position in my avatar.

Speaking of transition, Jeremy identified my death move. My misses are pulled irons and high-right with driver. Back when I was 350#, I didn't rotate my body to square the clubhead, and there was no room for my trail elbow to stay internal. So, the only way to reach the ball with a square clubface was to let the trail elbow straighten and go "external" (rotate counter-clockwise) which is why a lot of overweight guys are OTT. For me, it causes pulls with irons, which I can live with. But, it kills me with penalty strokes off the tee, because I add a lunge (false power feel) which sends the ball right of Limbaugh.

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gamesArgue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours.Advanced MembersPosts: 1,667✭✭